Here is a very easy to use app called Green Screen by Doink. The process of green screening is to have the ability to change the backgrounds of your videos. Combine images and/or video to create one single video. I have been doing it for a few years now. Before the iPad, doing green screen effects were quite challenging and required expensive software on PCs. Now, using this app ($2.99 USD, iTunes link), you and your students will easily create fun, informative and educational videos for parents and classmates alike. By reading ahead, you will have a chance at winning a free promo code for this great app.

I recently held an iPad camp and this app was a big hit with my students (ages 6-10). Even the kids straight out of first grade were able to properly use and execute the app. Students were taught to either film a background video or create a screenshot of a Keynote slide showing off their favourite animated characters. Here is my sample background that I quickly during my lesson (notice I also showed them the excellent Instant Alpha tool on Keynote to remove the backgrounds of the images):

Then, they took turns filming in front of the blue screens (any solid colour works, just make sure their clothing is not the same colour!). You can see in the images below that my wife simply combined together two large pieces of blue fabric):

Below: First and second grade campers film in front of the

screen after brainstorming ideas for their projects.

As with most apps that I recommend on this site, the possibilities are endless, and only go as far as the students’ imagination does. Use even Google Earth or Maps to create images that your students can describe. Brainstorm a list of green screen ideas with your class after you show them the basics of how to do it. Once complete, students can export the videos to Camera Roll using this button:

Saving in the project view does not save to Camera roll:

Once saved in the Camera roll, students can then combine different video clips in iMovie. Play around with the app yourself for a while. It just takes a few minutes to get the gist of it. Basically, have your background on the bottom timeline, then add in your footage filmed in front of the green screen.

You can also check out some of the newer features of Green Screen by Doink in this video.

Conclusion

Green Screen by Doink is a absolutely an essential app for both teachers and students alike. It costs a mere fraction of what similar software (and cameras) would have cost even just five years ago! Definitely check this app out before the upcoming school year!

2. Tweet out this (or ANY) of teachingwithipad blogposts by using the Share button at the bottom of each post. Please include the hashtags #ipaded and #ipadchat. Share as many as you can/want.

If you don’t have Twitter:

1. Follow this blog (There’s a button at the bottom of every post)

2. Simply leave a brief comment below on how you could benefit from the DOINK app, and how you plan on using it. Make sure you leave your email address (it won’t be shown publicly).

I will contact winners directly through email or Twitter DM. If you receive a code, please reply back and let me know if it worked. Promo coes have an expiration date. If you are chosen, please remember to redeem it immediately.

The following is a guest post from colleague Dr. Guy Trainin, a professor of Literacy at the University of Nebraska. Dr. Trainin is a very avid YouTube author with very helpful iPad videos.

A few weeks ago I created two of my favorite episodes on me podcast iPads in the Classroom. One was about viruses and cells and the second was about the future of the book. (The videos are embedded below). These episodes show off the magic that iPads can create. This is not just a book splashed on a page, or games that drill a basic math skill. Instead, these are apps that show how much more can you get when you use a mobile devices to get a different kind of information.

Take viruses and cells, in the apps we show we navigate through the cells, see their different organelles and their relative location. We can explore the cell and have the experience of visiting a three dimensional interactive model. No textbook and no lecture can bring that kind of understanding to light.

In the episode about the future of the book we show the magic of excellent interactive books. The use of these books is actually supported by research that shows that they improve student comprehension of stories. The trick is to create relevant interaction and stay away from gadgetry bells and whistles that actually detract from the main idea in the story.

My point here that iPads offer immense educational potential that already has some research support. Yet teachers, schools, and districts struggle to integrate devices in large numbers. That is, large organizations seem to have a hard time realizing the potential in the devices and I suggest three main reasons for it:

To use the devices teachers and systems have to give up some control over the details of the curriculum. For example, if you already have a unit on cells and viruses that as is takes more time than you have there is no time to integrate guided exploration through an app.

Flexibility in purchasing – teachers almost never have the ability to experiment with and download apps based on their curriculum without layers of approval that remove the immediacy from planning. In the early stages of integration it kills innovation since teachers are just learning and cannot really plan a full year in advance.

Right now most (if not all) high-stakes assessments are multiple-choice assessments. These are assessments that foster a rigid regimen of chapter reading followed by Q and A. iPads are useful only if some of our assessments change to include more creativity, critical thinking and open ended assignments.

The magic of iPads and devices like them is incredible but in order to harness such potential in our educational systems, we must also attempt to do things differently – in a 21st century way.

About the author:

Dr. Guy Trainin is an associate professor of Literacy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). He focuses his research in the areas of literacy development and literacy integration with technology and the arts. Dr. Trainin has served as the external evaluator for Nebraska Reading First Grant for six years, as well as for two Arts Education Model Development and Dissemination grants focusing on Arts and Literacy in Elementary classrooms. He teaches in pre-service education as well as graduate courses in field research methods, technology integration and in literacy research. In 2012 he won the prestigious Swanson Teaching Award. In recent years Dr. Trainin has been studying 21st century learning in schools in Nebraska and China with a specific focus on mobile devices and creativity. He has published research articles and books as well as extensive digital authorship of over 200 videos (YouTube Techeedge01) and 200 blog posts (guytrainin.blogspot.com). He is co-founder and a past director of the KDS Reading Center and the Elementary Education Program Coordinator at the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education.

]]>http://teachingwithipad.org/2015/05/27/why-ipads-are-magic-and-why-that-may-not-matter/feed/0wpid-Photo-May-27-2015-311-PM.jpgteachingwithipadWriting on the iPad: 6 Reasons Why Evernote is Brillianthttp://teachingwithipad.org/2015/04/16/writing-on-the-ipad-6-reasons-why-evernote-is-brilliant/
http://teachingwithipad.org/2015/04/16/writing-on-the-ipad-6-reasons-why-evernote-is-brilliant/#commentsThu, 16 Apr 2015 13:06:53 +0000https://teachingwithipad.wordpress.com/?p=5370Continue reading →]]>In the ongoing quest to promote Content-Creation on the iPad, I am going to write a short series of posts focusing on writing with the iPad. I will explore a few different apps to use when you want to write.

Hardware

There are a multitude of bluetooth keyboards available for iPad. You can see them in stores everywhere now. If you are not a fan of writing directly on the iPad screen, I would recommend trying out a keyboard if you haven’t yet. Depending on the brand and build quality, they can be useful, responsive and handy, especially if you are writing longer works.

I own the Apple Bluetooth keyboard (pictured above). This is the same one that can ship with iMacs.

Evernote

The first writing app that I will discuss is Evernote. I wrote a “Evernote for Dummies” post a while back that you can check out here.

Evernote is a no-frills app that can be extremely useful. I am currently writing this post in Evernote. A friend of mine has now begun running her whole business using Evernote. Most people I come across have heard of all the benefits of Evernote. Only a fraction of them have fully dived in and discovered how useful it can be in many ways. By no means can I completely discuss all the great tools that Evernote has, but I will provide instead a small snippet of how I use it every day.

Why is Evernote Brilliant?

It can capture everything for you. If you see something you like online, you can save it to your Evernote.

If you use multiple devices, notes are synched almost immediately between them. Start a document on your iPad, continue working on your MacBook.

The search function is second to none. Just type in a word, and Evernote will find that note for you.

There are literally an infinite amount of possible uses for Evernote. Writing notes is just one of them. Often, I use the speech function on my iPad to dictate my blogposts or lessons. I can then later edit and fine tune them on a different device.

The Evernote iPad app continues to make strides in ease of use and its user-interface. As soon as you open the app, the search bar opens up.

If you are an organized person, you can group all your notes into notebooks. File them into categories as you wish. However, if you don’t want to do this, you definitely don’t have to. Keep all the notes in one folder and just tag each note with a #. This will help with your search in the future.

Above: Evernote on iPad and iPhone 6 Plus

Mobile is the Future – And the Future is Here

I love the fact that you are not tied down to your computer with Evernote. With whichever device you may have at the time, you can edit your notes on the fly. If you happen to have an extra few minutes to work on something, you can even use your iPhone to add those notes in. You don’t have to wait until you get home to your computer.

Workflow:

In doing research for your writing, you can clip anything you see on the web using the web clipper, a new iOS 8 feature that is extremely simple to use: Just tap the share icon and select “Evernote. You can not only clip webpages, but PDFs, images or other documents that you can store on your device.

Evernote is a great way to organize your ideas for your writing. Ideas can come flowing wherever you are. Make lists for brainstorming. Create a list of related articles to support your arguments. Need some help writing different types of works, such as essays, speeches and blogposts? Check out goodwritinghelp.com for lots of free tips on how to improve your writing.

My Work Example

In my teaching, I use specific plays for each of the five grades that I teach. Each play is in video form. After I show the plays to my students, I ask very specific questions to assess their comprehension. During the showing of the play, I take notes on each character: their gender, size, costumes etc. I save every play in Evernote and therefore it is only a search term away every time I want to refer to that list of notes. It takes literally two seconds to access any given play at any time.

Interested in some of the offerings an Evernote Premium account? Click here to get a one month trial for free (A PC down,oad is necessary).

Conclusion

If you are writing simple notes, texts or paragraphs, then Evernote is a great choice for you. The simplicity of the app should not be mistaken for any lacking features. Evernote is feature-rich, and a lot of Evernote-owned (Scannable, Skitch) and third party apps (Pocket, IF, Scanner Pro) tie very well together with it. Spend some time giving it shot for a few weeks. I guarantee you will appreciate what it can do for you! Let us know how you like it in the comments!

These days, the world is at your fingertips wherever you are. Anyone with a data connection and a smartphone has literally the entire Internet in his/her pocket. However, not all apps are created equally, in terms of the amount of data that they use in order to run. This is a quick tip on how to save your data usage (and potentially quite a bit of money). The following will be especially helpful if you do not have a large data plan (more than 1Gb per month).

Both in Instagram and Facebook, we are seeing more and more videos that people upload (as opposed to just photos). Watching these videos while out of the house is probably not on top of your priority list. By changing a few settings, we can ensure that we don’t get charged for playing those videos while outside of WiFi.Videos can be enormous data hogs. This is why they warn not to watch videos (YouTube, Netflix etc.) when you are using data (and not WiFi).

In each of the respective apps, go to Settings and turn off the automatic playback feature for videos. This will ensure that videos won’t begin playing when you scroll through your feeds. You will still be able to watch them if you want by tapping “play”.

To check how much data each app has used, go to your device’s Settings>Cellular. Scroll down to see all the apps that you have. You will see, under each name, the amount of data used (since you started your contract). If you want to definitely avoid using data for any of the apps at all, toggle the button to “off” (the non-green). This way, you should not be surprised by any data over use. Obviously, some apps such as Maps are extremely useful while on the road, so you should consider leaving data on for those apps.

You can reset these statistics at any time: Scroll to the bottom and reset.

That way you can better monitor the usage from that point on

If you have an iPad with a cellular data plan, the above tip works exactly the same. This will especially be important when you are out of the country. If you don’t have a new SIM card for your destination (an unlocked phone is necessary), roaming fees are very expensive and can cost triple or more what they do in your home country. Put your phone in Airplane mode and be at ease. Swipe up to get to Control Center and tap the airplane button)

Also, while it is great that some apps such as Dropbox and Google have automatic backup of all your photos and videos that you take, I would highly recommend that you upload them while only on WiFi. Uploading videos would be a huge waste of data.

My good friend, fellow French teacher and colleague Sylvia Duckworth and I brainstormed the following. Sylvia has been a huge advocate for using technology in the classroom, and has actively used iPads in her classes for the past couple years. Check out her excellent website, which contains a multitude of teaching ideas using technology as a tool.

1. You keep a well organized Professional Learning Network (PLN)

You keep up to date with the latest technology in education trends. You are always willing to learn more about technology in education. On Twitter, you keep an eye on the hashtags #ipaded and #ipadedchat. In Google+ you have joined the community iPad Ed. You have subscribed to iPad Ed blogs like these:

2. You are familiar with the SAMR model in education

Image source: iPads4schools.org

Applying the SAMR model definitely helps correctly integrating technology into eduction. You strive to get students creating projects on their ipads that reach the higher levels of it. You spend time exploring projects that students can create using each of these levels.

3. You understand that technology is a means to enhance lessons, not be the primary source and focus of them.

You don’t just use iPads and technology in your class for the sake of it. iPads are not just a reward for good work and behaviour. You do not say to your students: “Oh, you’re finished, you can go play a few minutes on the iPads now.”

4. You are not afraid to make mistakes, but instead take risks.

You encourage students to help you and each other if needed. Instead of relying on the same apps over and over again, you regularly try new ones out. Not all apps that you try will be great. Your students will appreciate your efforts, and gain the wisdom that even teachers won't have perfect lessons all the time.

5. You share your wealth of knowledge.

You spend time telling your success stories, at your school staff meetings, and on social networks such as Twitter, G+, Pinterest etc. You make effort to make time to help colleagues with their questions. Share the latest app, or teaching tool. They will appreciate it. You curate a list of your favourite apps and post them on your blog. Don't have a blog and don't have time to start one? Start an online newspaper via scoop.it. There, you can simply share articles that you've read and liked.

6. You use whatever iPad resources are available to you and your students, no matter how limited.

Although a 1:1 iPad implementation would excellent, only a small percentage of classes will ever get there. Having one iPad in the classroom is still an amazing tool, one that did not exist five years ago.

7. You have a system in place to showcase your students’ iPad projects.

Families, other students and educators will be know how to access them. You understand the process of sharing projects, and also the limits to and hazards of posting your students’ photos online.

8. You are relevant and up to date.

While there is no need to always have the latest and greatest device (It is impossible to keep up!), you know how to successfully engage your students using the tech, and effectively use your time implementing it. You provide access for them to become very capable digital citizens.

9. You teach your students that the iPad is NOT just for games, YouTube and Facebook.

By showing the possibilities of what they can create and achieve with the iPad, kids will slowly realize that their iPads can do so much more than just provide entertainment. While it is certainly ok to play games on occasion in class, make each game useful and relevant to learning. Review material using Quizlet or Kahoot, two EXCELLENT ways of incorporating iPad in class. Games are great, and can even be educational. Most games, however, should be played at home.

10. Finally, you are not too “busy” with your device.

Image source: Creative Commons

While it is great that you want to become better and better at this great tool that is the iPad, keep proper hours, even if you wish to always be a learner. Save time for family and other hobbies. Sometimes when the battery runs out, it’s time to put your iPad away!

Conclusion

Being an effective iPad teacher does take some work. It is not just about bringing your personal iPad to class and hoping it will do wonders for you right away. Time must be put in to research methods and practice the apps you wish to implement. What do you think about our ten signs? Do you agree with them? Do you have any to add to the list? We would be pleased to hear from you in the comments!

Please check out the rest of Sylvia’s Sketchnotes here. They are an excellent resource, and are a welcome change from the standard “infographics” that you see a lot. Share them with your PLN!

It is by no way new information that technology is now playing an even bigger role in our lives than it did this time ten years ago. It is extremely rare to meet someone who doesn’t have a mobile phone, doesn’t have access to a tablet of some form, or doesn’t know how to use a computer. Technology is incorporated into virtually every aspect of our lives, from our daily lesson plans, weekly shopping trips to our doctors’ appointments.

Teaching is no exception. The use of technology while teaching is a great asset in many ways. 10 years ago it was a revelation when educators started using laptops to carry their lessons around with them. Now, everything is even more virtual in the sense of lesson plans and files. iPads and tablets have become very mainstream within education, used by both students and teachers. Tablets are used for everything from full blown power points and lesson activities to simply taking notes on what the teacher is saying.

There are lots of different resources available on tablets that can come in very useful in the classroom. The use of cloud storage, for instance, allows our students to access their learning resources anywhere at any time. Working virtually, through the cloud, reduces the amount of printing of resources and eliminates the chances of losing worksheets and the like. The cloud is becoming ever more useful with the more development it undergoes, now making it possible to share files and resources instantly between different devices – in some instances even allowing other devices to view real time editing of documents.

Applications to aid education are everywhere on the App Store now. There are sections dedicated to study aids. This involved everything from note taking tools to apps that help you learn more specialized subjects, like quantum physics.

Recently I decided to learn a new language. I didn’t know which language to start learning, so I downloaded an app to suggest some. The app picked Arabic. Then I needed to find resources, so I downloaded another app. There weren’t many resources available that were easy to follow. So I took to the old fashioned method and googled something on my computer. I searched for schools that taught Arabic. The top result for was London Arabic Tuition. I figured, with an actual teacher and official resources, I wouldn’t need the apps that I had downloaded.

Once I started learning Arabic, I found that a lot of the apps were useless for what I was learning anyway. The apps taught what would be the equivalent of speaking like characters from a Jane Austin. I was learning a dialect. While the apps were essentially useless, I still found both myself and my tutor using our technology – iPads especially – an awful lot as both learning and teaching aids. All my work was instantly saved to a shared DropBox, all of the lessons were available as video files in that DropBox and any resources I needed for independent work were there too.

It didn’t take long for me to realize the dependence we had on the technology at hand. Virtually everything was done using either an iPad or a computer. I came to realize that the technology we take for granted on a daily basis is potentially the best learning resource ever created. While it comes with limitations, as does every great invention, there are plenty of way around them. For instance, if the internet isn’t accessible from your device, for some reason or another, you’re pretty much limited to working from offline resources and saving things locally. This may cause issues in terms of accessing work that is on the cloud that is needed, or downloading new resources, but 9 times out of 10, it’s a temporary problem and is very easy to either fix or work round.

At the end of the day, portable technology has been a godsend in many ways. As mentioned above, everything has its own drawbacks in one way or another and technology is no exception to that rule. Websites go down, internet connections can be temperamental and files can get corrupted – But the pros greatly outweigh the cons in this scenario. 10 texts books become one easy to carry item, printouts and resources take 5 seconds to access on the Cloud, your tutor is simply a FaceTime away and all of this takes up less room than a dinner plate.

Blue Planet Tales, an app for teaching history and science in schools.

“If we teach kids history and science in the conventional way, they soon grow bored and run from it. But if we teach them with the advantages of new technologies, they learn better and want to know more.”

This statement was made by the University of California, and the start-up Blue Planet Tales has put it into practice by turning each history, science and nature lesson into an interactive story so children learn by reading, playing and having fun.

The extinction of the dinosaurs, the Moon voyage, building the pyramids, great inventors, adventurers, nature and other important episodes narrated in the form of adventures, illustrated by wonderful artists, performed by professional actors, with sound effects, interactivities, questions and answers, gamification…

Schools in the US are already using the application in class for extra practice in the subjects being taught. A teacher said, of Blue Planet Tales: “Because kids learn about important topics quickly and enjoyably, and so they show more interest and pay much more attention.”

This is a new way to learn that is more in line with the times we are living. It centers on the children’s needs and preferences. Their education is the basis for a better society in the future.

For school:

These interactive books serve teachers as a supplement to their class materials. They can be used to introduce the topic in an appealing way, awakening the children’s curiosity and interest in the subject, which will help them to better learn.

For home:

Parents can let their children use the tablet knowing they have something they like, which entertains and also teaches them a variety of subjects that are very important for their cultural and intellectual development.

Download the application for free (iTunes link), and discover how it helps parents and teachers educate and entertain preschool and elementary age kids. And if you work in a school and would like to participate in a school aid project, contact the developers, and they will give you the gift of many stories for your students to learn from and have fun with.

Books are inexpensive (less than the price of a coffee), and are available in English, Europeam Spanish and Latin-American Spanish. These books would be an excellent resource for Spanish language learners as well.

Here is a quick tip for Apple TV teachers!

This is a must for those teachers use the great benefits that the AppleTV can bring to the classroom.

Do you see this intro screen when the Apple TV turns on?

Those movies on the top? While a lot of these are the most popular movies playing though it is, they may not be the most appropriate for our students. This happened just today as I was teaching in another classroom, and it was a small distraction during my lesson. Kids were excited to see their favorite movie, in this instance, Big Hero 6. They cheered and became excited. While this case was harmless, I can only imagine other cases where movies that are rated PG-13 or higher can cause some concern for teachers of younger students. These can even be a distraction for high schoolers, who will likely veer off topic if they see a movie that they like or dislike.

We as teachers do not need to be showing popular movies in our classes. Kids have access to them with their families.

It is easy to remove these distractions in Settings. It should take you less than two minutes.

Here are the steps to do this:

1. On your Apple TV menu, go to Settings>General>Restrictions

2. You will need to set a 4 digit passcode (Remember this!)

3. Go to “Purchase and Rental” and toggle to “HIDE”

4. That's it!

At my school, we often use the Apple TV in our assemblies for the whole school. We have been concerned about popular movie titles being shown. It would not be beneficial for the entire school community to see these images, those which we can not control. We have avoided this by mirroring straight to the device screen.

Now, with these changes implemented, we get this screen:

Here is a step-by-step for visual learners:

]]>http://teachingwithipad.org/2015/02/16/use-apple-tv-in-the-classroom-please-do-this-tip/feed/8wpid-Photo-Feb-16-2015-857-AM.jpgteachingwithipadAdapting Your Business to an iPad Billing Environmenthttp://teachingwithipad.org/2015/02/14/adapting-your-business-to-an-ipad-billing-environment/
http://teachingwithipad.org/2015/02/14/adapting-your-business-to-an-ipad-billing-environment/#commentsSun, 15 Feb 2015 07:25:09 +0000http://teachingwithipad.org/?p=5257Continue reading →]]>There’s no arguing that iPads have permeated their way through most streams of education. These amazing devices are becoming more evident in all areas of lives, both for fun and work. Whether you’re in the educational sector or business sector, iPads have become the norm. It is a good service that we provide our students that we are educating them in current technology. The more we teach them, the more desirable they become to their future employers.

The following is one of many examples of where people will be coming across tablets in their daily lives. Let’s continue to provide practical, current and relevant iPad education to our students, as they begin to enter the workforce.

The world of technology is changing with leaps and bounds. In fact, what was considered trendy a year back, is now not only passé but also technologically irrelevant. As a result, most stores have realized that the traditional “ka-ching” billing or POS systems are redundant. Wireless POS systems are now the norm and large chain stores like Nike and McDonalds have already started using mobile POS billing systems. Roving staff members can approach customers anywhere in the store and bill them immediately. This not only saves time but it also increases store revenue as customers can make spot purchases. However, this also means that businesses have to adapt their stores to the wireless POS billing system says Sockettalk. If you are actively contemplating a switch to wireless POS billing systems through tablets and mobiles, here are a few things you should know.

What Do You Need?

It’s not too late to switch over to a wireless system. According to TD Canada Trust, the mobile or wireless POS system will easily explode into a $2 billion industry. This also indicates that almost all business owners are actively considering switching over to a modern mobilized system. However, restructuring an existing business is not easy and it is definitely expensive. Are there are extra materials that you will need to make your business a mobilized one? Yes, there are but realistically speaking, most of them are affordable and quite easy to implement. So here goes.

Wireless Networks – Traditional POS systems do not require an Internet connection but wireless systems do. A store-wide network that also extends to about 2 meters outside the store (for restaurants) is mandatory to make the entire system effective and affordable. However, this is not really a major concern as most stores may already have an existing Internet connection. This can easily be modified or switched over to a wireless network. Users may have to pay about $20 to about $30 per month extra for the wireless network but it is quite affordable.

Tablets and accessories – A mobilized POS systems usually relies on tablets to complete the billing process. Tablets are affordable, easy to use, and lightweight. Almost every staff member already knows how to use the swipe-and-wipe motion for billing and the actual POS system is accessible through a simple icon on the main screen. To prevent injury, almost every retailer prefers to use ruggedized devices to prevent damage but it is not enough. Along with the tablet, you may require additional accessories to secure the billing counter, protect the tablets and speed up billing. The most commonly required accessories for a new business adapting to mobilized billing include the following:

Stands – Tablets are quite delicate and they have to be secured in place to prevent damage. A large business may require handheld tablets for roving staff members, security stands to hold the tablet firmly to the billing station, floor stands to hold tablets at pop-up stores, etc. Most vendors supply several different colours, varieties, and sizes and you can choose the variety you want.

Cash drawers – Unlike traditional billing systems, wireless systems use standalone cash drawers to collect paperwork, cash and bills. For security, these cash drawers usually have a manual lock, a POS lock, and security covers inside the drawers to prevent theft. Businesses can choose from sizes, inserts, colours, security features, etc. to match their wireless system and to protect daily income.

Base stations – These types of stations are hugely useful for small business. Several designs are available but docking stations usually offer secure Bluetooth, Wi-Fi connectivity to upload data and charging facilities for small businesses. Base docking stations may also connect to small printers, barcode printers, credit card machines, etc. and acts as secondary billing stations.

Credit card readers – Credit card terminals are an integral part of payment processing but wireless POS systems have simplified the process even further. Miniaturized credit card terminals are easy to use and they connect almost instantly to any kind of tablet or smartphone.

Printers – A wireless network means that a single printer can be used for all billing requirements. However, vendors also provide small portable printers that print barcodes, coupons, product tags, etc. Some businesses may also require bigger printers to deal with invoices, product inventory, etc. Don’t have a wireless printer? Check out this solution that you can use with your existing hardware.

Truthfully saying, a small business can save a lot of money while switching over to a wireless-based POS system says biztechmagazine. Vendors like Shopify usually sell package deals in which you can set up a small business, large retail stores, pop-up stores, stalls, etc. with the same wireless-based tablet or phone billing system. All you have to do is get in touch with the vendor and pick tablets, accessories, and features to suit your business requirements.

The iPad was first introduced almost exactly five years ago (February, 2010). Has time ever flown by! I remember the first impressions were mostly somewhat negative, and people wondered about their purpose. “Isn't it just a big iPod touch?” The name “iPad” was mocked by people everywhere.

Now, half a decade later, the iPad has become an incredible teaching tool for many educators. I would argue that anyone who is passionate about iPads in teaching has probably already tried it for themselves. Some have been more successful than others.

I had the pleasure, once again, to collaborate with Richard Wells from New Zealand (@ipadwells). His blog has very recently been chosen as one of the Global top 12 Teacher Blogs by The Huffington Post. His blog has several important infographics that we can all use in our teaching.

Together, we brainstormed a list of “iPad advice” for both seasoned and new teachers. This has been a work in progress for quite a few months.

For each “thought”, there is additional reading, relevant to each point. We hope that you can take time to check those out.

1. Richard: Never prescribe an app for a task. Let the students surprise you.

I was introduced to Green screening and stop-frame animation by my own students. Students continuously discover apps and will be keen to apply them to class tasks. In a flexible learning environment the teacher spends less time hunting out apps for students to use and more time devising learning intentions.

2. Steve: Know the ins and outs of how to troubleshoot potential roadblocks

If you are the “go-to” iPad person at your school, your students (and some coworkers) will regularly ask you how to do even the simplest tasks. Try to predict potentials roadblocks by practicing on your own before any iPad lesson. Try giving some of your new and exciting lessons with your family and colleagues and see if they have any questions to stump you.

Another consideration is to develop a small network of students that will help people in your class or even school with these common roadblocks.

3. Steve: Always continue to learn, but its okay to sometimes admit you don't know how to do something

We should strive to be lifelong-learners. That’s why you’re reading this article! While you should be the best at your teachable subject, your students need to realize that we aren’t infallible. When tough questions arise, learn the solution as a class. The learning of that topic, on your part, is professional development in itself. Keep up to date with the latest teaching tools. Attend iPad pro-d’s if available.

The views on iPad teaching have evolved over the 5 years and teachers are realizing that the traditional view that they must be the master of the classroom content does not have to apply to the use of technology. Consider what you’d like the students to be doing but let them discover the best way iPads might help.

4. Steve: Be wise in what you share online

Teachers are hopefully willing to share great creations made by students to other teachers, both within their schools/districts and also to a broader community. Take special care in how you share. Don’t publish full names, and make sure to get full parental consent if you want to post your students’ photos. As a professional, be careful and what you post about your personal lives as well, as it is an open book for all to read.

5. Steve: Make the cloud an essential tool. Know how to use it efficiently, ie. back up student work

The cloud is a relatively new tool to a lot of people. Learn how to maximize its potential. Cloud storage is becoming more affordable, and free storage options still offer a lot of great sharing features. Discover sharing and collaborative features and learn about the different forms it comes in. Make sure what you upload is secure and safe. Educate your students, as cloud computing is here to stay. The iPads will operate with all main cloud platforms by Apple, Google, Microsoft and Dropbox.

6. Richard: Understand that, while the iPad is an incredible teaching and learning tool, it doesn’t change what works and doesn’t work in effective learning

iPads don’t always change students’ engagement or desire to learn. True success in the classroom still requires a teacher to create the right atmosphere for deep learning. More success is realized by teachers who create flexible learning spaces and set student-driven challenges that demand deep thinking whilst allowing the iPad to help student collaboration and present this thinking.

Teachers need to have (or develop) a certain passion for integrating technology (not just iPads) into their everyday teaching. If it’s not really your cup of tea, don’t feel like you have to do it. Find your niche and go forward with it!

8. Richard: Worry less about “Wonder” apps and more about “Collaboration and Teamwork”

Why hunt for an app that can do everything, when tasks conducted in teams can demand each team member use the simplest of apps just to fulfil their team role.

iPads also allow for collaboration between students in different classrooms or even schools. Here’s a “Connected Classroom Challenge” to test students’ ability to run projects whilst working remotely. This is great practice for 21st Century workflow.

9. Richard: iPads are still the most popular, flexible and successful device in education.

Whether it is the USA buying iPads in their millions or reports showing 86% of New Zealand schools have students using iPads, there is still a worldwide understanding that they are the easiest to integrate into classrooms. Educators around the world are often found discussing the benefits of active learning which the iPad continues to allow for in a way that laptops / Chromebooks don’t, keeping students rooted to one spot.

We hope you enjoyed this post and these thoughts. There will always be a place for the iPad in the classroom. We are excited to see where we head in the the next five years. Innovation of tech education is on a continuous journey, and the we are already seeing many possible ways to incorporate technology into our teaching.